Michael Bodo

Right Back - Bidco United
11 Apr 2028
Tuesday
Process

Marked for Michael Bodo

89 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

10 Apr 2028
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

The knee: John Kelwishi out for 88 days

88 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Bidco United lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.

Market

Michael Bodo hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Bidco United can pretend not to have heard.

The dugout

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Market

John Kelwishi is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Bidco United is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Tempers go at Bidco United

Daniel Kakai was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Squad

A row about effort at Bidco United

Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Simon Munala was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.

Squad

Themba Tau signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Themba Tau commits to Bidco United for another 3 years.

The dugout

No hiding place for Sphesihle Hlongwa

“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Sphesihle Hlongwa, and the manager let it.

The dugout

Simon Munala gets picked when it counts

Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Simon Munala is on it.

In brief

Back issues
86 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

20 Mar 2028
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

A knee injury of the worst kind for John Kelwishi

111 days on the estimate, and a long, private, unglamorous year of a rehabilitation nobody watches. Bidco United lose a footballer; he loses considerably more than a season.

Match

A hiding for Bidco United

Beaten 1‑5 by Muranga Seal, and beaten everywhere it matters. The inquest starts on the training pitch on Monday morning.

Market

Thabang Molefe has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Bidco United they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

Daniel Kakai in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Bidco United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Match

6 goals as Bidco United and Muranga Seal go for it

Defending was optional and nobody took up the option. 6 goals between Bidco United and Muranga Seal, and not one of the people who paid to be there will ask for the money back.

The dugout

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Squad

A row about effort at Bidco United

Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Simon Munala was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.

The dugout

Michael Bodo gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Boardroom

Nobody left the Bidco United dressing room in a hurry

The door stayed shut a long time after the final whistle. What was said in there is between them; whether it worked is between them and Saturday.

In brief

81 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

14 Feb 2028
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Squad

The knee: Michael Bodo out for 16 days

16 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Bidco United lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.

Player ratings

A brace, and Christopher Raila takes the afternoon — 8.05

There is a particular kind of quiet from an away end watching one man score twice. Christopher Raila provided it, and the 8.05 beside his name is if anything generous to everybody else.

The dugout

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Market

Only the photograph left for John Kelwishi

Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. John Kelwishi will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Bidco United the goodbyes have quietly begun.

Squad

Sfundo Nzama in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Bidco United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Squad

Words at Bidco United training over how hard people work

Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Simon Munala is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.

Match

Bidco United get the job done against Shabana

A 2‑1 win over Shabana, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.

The dugout

Clinton Ouma: “That is the standard”

“That is what I want every week. Not the result, the way they went about it.” The manager, after 2‑1, already talking about the next one.

The dugout

When it matters, Simon Munala plays

It is never announced and it is entirely visible: the biggest afternoons of the season keep containing him. A press box works this out long before anybody at the club confirms a word of it.

In brief

80 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

7 Feb 2028
From our football correspondent Crisis

Squad

A knee injury of the worst kind for Michael Bodo

23 days on the estimate, and a long, private, unglamorous year of a rehabilitation nobody watches. Bidco United lose a footballer; he loses considerably more than a season.

Match

Bidco United taken apart

1‑4 to Gor Mahia, and it was every bit as bad as the number suggests. There are defeats you argue about and defeats you apologise for; this was the second kind.

Market

Simon Munala hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Bidco United can pretend not to have heard.

Market

Thabang Molefe agrees terms with Kariobangi Sharks

The clubs have settled the fee and he has settled his wages. What remains is a medical and a photograph, and around Bidco United people have started saying his name in the past tense.

Boardroom

Window shuts: 8 in, 5 out at Bidco United

The deadline has passed and the squad is the squad. 8 arrived, 5 left, and everything else printed about this club last month was a rumour that stayed one.

Boardroom

The Bidco United board want somebody sold

The instruction has come from upstairs rather than from the dugout, which is the version of this conversation no manager enjoys. Somebody in that squad is now available whether the man who picks the team thinks so or not.

Squad

A falling-out at Bidco United

Sfundo Nzama and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.

Boardroom

Graduation day at Bidco United

5 boys move up, and somewhere in the building the people who coached them at twelve are quietly having the best morning of their working year. Nothing about this shows up in a result and it is why the academy exists.

Squad

Words at Bidco United training over how hard people work

Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Simon Munala is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.

In brief

79 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

31 Jan 2028
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

A knee injury of the worst kind for Michael Bodo

30 days on the estimate, and a long, private, unglamorous year of a rehabilitation nobody watches. Bidco United lose a footballer; he loses considerably more than a season.

Boardroom

The scrutiny sharpens at Bidco United

Nobody upstairs has said anything, which is the loudest thing they could do. Results buy silence in this game; the account at Bidco United is running low.

Market

Sphesihle Hlongwa hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Bidco United can pretend not to have heard.

Market

John Kelwishi says no to Shabana

“I listened, I thought about it, and I am staying. That is the whole story.” The clubs had agreed a fee. John Kelwishi had not agreed to go, which turned out to be the part that mattered.

Market

The Shabana deal is off

Everything was agreed until it was not, and John Otieno reports back to Bidco United with a summer to forget. Neither club is saying who walked away from the table.

Squad

A row about effort at Bidco United

Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Thomas Wainaina was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.

Squad

Tempers go at Bidco United

Michael Bodo was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

The dugout

No hiding place for Francis Chege

“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Francis Chege, and the manager let it.

Squad

The formation has left Dalphine Omuri behind

Every shape has positions in it and this one does not have his. Bidco United will either change the shape, change his job, or change his club, and he is waiting to hear which.

In brief

78 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

24 Jan 2028
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Michael Bodo damages knee ligaments — 37 days out

The words a physio says slowly. 37 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.

Market

Michael Bodo hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Bidco United can pretend not to have heard.

Market

Thabang Molefe is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Bidco United is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Tempers go at Bidco United

Sfundo Nzama was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Transfer targets

Door shut on Luciano Van Heerden

Bidco United asked and KCB said no without discussing a figure. It is the least ambiguous answer in football and the one clubs most often come back to test.

Squad

Simon Munala falls out with a teammate over standards

The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.

Squad

Bidco United are still strangers to each other

7 new signings in one window. Every one may be an upgrade and the side can still be worse for a while, which is the part of a rebuild the verdicts never mention.

The dugout

Thabang Molefe gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

Fidel Origa linked with a move away

The name of Fidel Origa keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Bidco United say nothing, which says plenty.

In brief

77 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

17 Jan 2028
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

The knee: Michael Bodo out for 44 days

44 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Bidco United lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.

Market

Fidel Origa hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Bidco United can pretend not to have heard.

Market

Terms done: John Kelwishi is going

Fee agreed, wages agreed, and Mara Sugar waiting with a shirt. Nobody at Bidco United is pretending otherwise, and the supporters have stopped asking whether and started asking when.

The dugout

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Transfer targets

Door shut on John Makwatta

Bidco United asked and Mathare United said no without discussing a figure. It is the least ambiguous answer in football and the one clubs most often come back to test.

Squad

Simon Munala falls out with a teammate over standards

The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.

Squad

Words exchanged at Bidco United

Randy Bakari and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.

Market

A long bet from Bidco United on Dayong Labwat

He is 19, and nobody at Bidco United signed him for this season. Deals like this are judged in four years, by people who may not still be in the building.

Squad

No place for Dayong Labwat in the new shape

He is not being dropped. There is simply nowhere in the formation Bidco United are playing to put a man who does what he does, which is a harder thing to be told than any team sheet.

In brief

73 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

20 Dec 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

The knee: Sergio Sardinha out for 34 days

34 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Bidco United lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.

Market

Michael Bodo hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Bidco United can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Bidco United count the cost of losing Sfundo Nzama

15 days, the scan says, and scans are kinder than reality. The fixtures in that window have just become somebody else’s job.

Squad

Tempers go at Bidco United

Sfundo Nzama was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

The dugout

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Squad

Thomas Wainaina falls out with a teammate over standards

The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.

The dugout

The manager makes an example of Francis Chege

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Market

Fidel Origa linked with a move away

The name of Fidel Origa keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Bidco United say nothing, which says plenty.

Market

The shop window has Fidel Origa in it

Bidco United have let the market know Fidel Origa can be had. No price in the advert, but everyone in the trade knows roughly what it says.

In brief

71 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

6 Dec 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

A knee injury of the worst kind for Sergio Sardinha

49 days on the estimate, and a long, private, unglamorous year of a rehabilitation nobody watches. Bidco United lose a footballer; he loses considerably more than a season.

Boardroom

Clinton Ouma has until the next board meeting

What was said behind closed doors has now been said in front of a microphone. Everybody at Bidco United can do the arithmetic, including the man it is aimed at.

Boardroom

The scrutiny sharpens at Bidco United

Nobody upstairs has said anything, which is the loudest thing they could do. Results buy silence in this game; the account at Bidco United is running low.

The dugout

Clinton Asiago says Bidco United went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

A falling-out at Bidco United

Sfundo Nzama and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.

Squad

Words at Bidco United training over how hard people work

Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Elly Saenyi is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.

Market

A long bet from Bidco United on Themba Tau

He is 17, and nobody at Bidco United signed him for this season. Deals like this are judged in four years, by people who may not still be in the building.

The dugout

Steve Hoffman without the man who signed him

Every squad is half players the manager chose and half players he inherited. Steve Hoffman was chosen, the man who chose him has gone, and he starts again from nothing under the next one.

Squad

A step back for Ochieng Ouma at Bidco United

Somebody has moved past him. It is not a dropping and it is worse than one, because a dropping is about a Saturday and this is about where he stands.

In brief

67 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

8 Nov 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

A knee injury of the worst kind for Bernard Ongoma

91 days on the estimate, and a long, private, unglamorous year of a rehabilitation nobody watches. Bidco United lose a footballer; he loses considerably more than a season.

Market

Michael Bodo hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Bidco United can pretend not to have heard.

Market

Bernard Ongoma has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Bidco United they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

Words exchanged at Bidco United

Daniel Kakai and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.

Squad

Randy Bakari signs on for more

“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Randy Bakari and Bidco United agree another 2 years.

Squad

A row about effort at Bidco United

Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Thomas Wainaina was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.

Market

Silas Shihemi already looking beyond Bidco United

He signed expecting a bigger stage than the one he found. It has not taken long, and it has not taken the dressing room long to notice either.

Market

Talks stall between Bidco United and Randy Bakari

“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.

The dugout

Randy Bakari has been promised minutes

A conversation in the manager’s office, and a commitment that came out of it. Promises like that are cheap to make and expensive to break, and Randy Bakari has written the date down.

In brief

65 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

25 Oct 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Bernard Ongoma damages knee ligaments — 105 days out

The words a physio says slowly. 105 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.

Squad

Bidco United lose Daniel Kakai

48 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

The dugout

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Squad

A row about effort at Bidco United

Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Simon Munala was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.

Squad

Words exchanged at Bidco United

Michael Bodo and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.

The dugout

Michael Bodo knocks on the manager’s door

“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Michael Bodo trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.

In brief

64 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

18 Oct 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

A knee injury of the worst kind for Thabang Molefe

33 days on the estimate, and a long, private, unglamorous year of a rehabilitation nobody watches. Bidco United lose a footballer; he loses considerably more than a season.

Squad

Simon Munala falls out with a teammate over standards

The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.

Squad

Words exchanged at Bidco United

Sfundo Nzama and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.

Boardroom

Wages swallow 101% of the Bidco United income

Every club pays most of what it earns to its players. Paying nearly all of it is a different arrangement, and it has ended the same way every time it has been tried.

The dugout

Simon Munala has become a man the manager trusts

Nobody at Bidco United will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.

Market

Thabang Molefe is free to find somewhere else

“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Bidco United has been clear about where Thabang Molefe stands, which is more than many ever get.

The dugout

Michael Bodo asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Market

The Simon Munala talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Bidco United know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Market

Talks stall between Bidco United and Brian Olunga

“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.

In brief

63 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

11 Oct 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Martin Omurwa damages knee ligaments — 16 days out

The words a physio says slowly. 16 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.

Market

Michael Bodo asks to leave Bidco United

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Market

Bernard Ongoma is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Bidco United is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

The dugout

Thabang Molefe: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Bidco United have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

A row about effort at Bidco United

Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Sfundo Nzama was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.

Market

Bidco United sign Brian Olunga, one for the future

Brian Olunga is 17, and Bidco United have signed him for the player he will be rather than the one he is. The first team can wait; the point of a deal like this is the years it buys.

Squad

Too much change too quickly at Bidco United

5 signings in three months. Every one of them may be an upgrade and the team can still be worse for a while, which is the part of a rebuild that never appears in the transfer-window verdicts.

Squad

Words exchanged at Bidco United

Brian Olunga and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.

The dugout

Bidco United keep their word to Brian Olunga

Clubs make promises constantly and the page usually only hears about them when they are broken. This one was honoured, and the dressing room noticed that faster than any supporter did.

In brief

62 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

4 Oct 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

A knee injury of the worst kind for Martin Omurwa

24 days on the estimate, and a long, private, unglamorous year of a rehabilitation nobody watches. Bidco United lose a footballer; he loses considerably more than a season.

Market

Fidel Origa asks to leave Bidco United

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Market

Clinton Rupia is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Bidco United is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Steve Hoffman signs on for more

“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Steve Hoffman and Bidco United agree another 2 years.

Squad

Simon Munala falls out with a teammate over standards

The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.

Squad

A falling-out at Bidco United

Michael Bodo and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.

The dugout

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The dugout

No hiding place for Felix Mulyungi

“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Felix Mulyungi, and the manager let it.

The dugout

Simon Munala asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

61 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

27 Sep 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

Full time on the season at Bidco United

Position 15 on 27 points. Every season is a story and this is the last line of it, and now the club has three months to decide what the next one is about.

Squad

Daniel Kakai in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Bidco United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

The dugout

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Match

Bandari take the points off Bidco United

Beaten 1‑2, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.

The dugout

Steve Hoffman gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

The dugout

Clinton Ouma: “No excuses”

“I could talk about decisions and I could talk about luck. I will not. We lost.” The manager, 1‑2, and a press conference that lasted four minutes.

The dugout

Simon Munala knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Bidco United, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

Fidel Origa linked with a move away

The name of Fidel Origa keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Bidco United say nothing, which says plenty.

Player ratings

Newton Ochieng runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 10. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

In brief

59 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

13 Sep 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

Every point is an argument now for Bidco United

Position 16 and 24 points, and the table gets read bottom-up in this part of town. The calendar has stopped being a schedule and started being a countdown.

Squad

Elly Saenyi takes the match ball home

3 goals in one afternoon from one man. The other players were also present, a witness confirmed.

Market

Michael Bodo puts it in writing

“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Bidco United, and it is not being withdrawn.

Market

Only the photograph left for Bernard Ongoma

Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Bernard Ongoma will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Bidco United the goodbyes have quietly begun.

Boardroom

Bidco United to lose Bernard Ongoma for free

There is no worse way to lose a footballer. Bernard Ongoma has pre-agreed a move away, which means every appearance between now and June is made by a man the club can no longer sell, and somebody upstairs will be asked why the contract was allowed to get here.

Match

Bidco United end the wait against Sofapaka

It had gone 7 games. The players did not celebrate like men who had won a match; they celebrated like men who had been let out of something.

Player ratings

One of those days for Elly Saenyi

There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 9.51, and no argument anywhere in the ground.

Match

Bidco United get the job done against Sofapaka

A 3‑1 win over Sofapaka, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.

Squad

A row about effort at Bidco United

Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Simon Munala was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.

In brief

58 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

6 Sep 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Bidco United break the bank for Elly Saenyi

$290.0K. No player has ever cost Bidco United more, and expectation arrives with him.

Market

Fidel Origa hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Bidco United can pretend not to have heard.

Match

7 matches without a win for Bidco United

The run now stands at 7, and the questions being asked around Bidco United are no longer polite ones.

Boardroom

Bidco United close the window on a squad of their own making

13 in and 6 out, and no more changes for months. The manager has what he has, the supporters have their opinion of it, and the table will have the last word.

Market

Clinton Rupia has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Bidco United they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Market

The APS Bomet deal is off

Everything was agreed until it was not, and John Kelwishi reports back to Bidco United with a summer to forget. Neither club is saying who walked away from the table.

The terraces

The town asked, and Bidco United paid $290.0K

Elly Saenyi was the name on every phone-in, and the club has gone and signed him for $290.0K. For one week the board can do no wrong, which is a week most boards never get.

Squad

A row about effort at Bidco United

Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Simon Munala was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.

Squad

A falling-out at Bidco United

Michael Bodo and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.

In brief

56 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

23 Aug 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

A 2-goal lead gone for Bidco United

It is a specific kind of quiet, a ground watching a winning position dissolve. Nairobi United kept coming because nothing stopped them, and Bidco United will be asked about the last half hour all week.

Squad

6 saves: Steve Hoffman was the team

Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the whole of the defence. 6 saves, several of them the kind nobody expects to see made, and ten outfield players who owe him a drink.

Match

No end in sight to Bidco United's wait for a win

5 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Bidco United has to find a result from somewhere.

Market

Bidco United say no — this time

The offer from Muranga Seal for Clinton Rupia was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.

Transfer targets

No deal for Elly Saenyi at that price

Bidco United offered $320.0K; Muranga Seal said it was not close. The manager will be told the money is still there for the right player, which is what managers are told.

Match

Nairobi United take the points off Bidco United

Beaten 2‑3, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.

Squad

A row about effort at Bidco United

Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Simon Munala was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.

The dugout

The manager makes an example of Steve Hoffman

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

The dugout

Clinton Ouma: “No excuses”

“I could talk about decisions and I could talk about luck. I will not. We lost.” The manager, 2‑3, and a press conference that lasted four minutes.

In brief

55 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

16 Aug 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

Bidco United are in real trouble now

Position 16, 20 points, and a fixture list with fewer games left in it than excuses. The arithmetic is not cruel yet, but it has stopped being kind.

Squad

A one-man rearguard from Steve Hoffman

There were 8 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.

Market

Michael Bodo puts it in writing

“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Bidco United, and it is not being withdrawn.

The dugout

Ibrahim Mulee: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Bidco United have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Match

The wait goes on for Bidco United

4 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.

Squad

A row about effort at Bidco United

Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Simon Munala was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.

Match

AFC Leopards take the points off Bidco United

Beaten 1‑2, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.

Squad

Michael Bodo in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Bidco United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Market

Clinton Rupia attracts admirers

The name of Clinton Rupia has come up in conversations Bidco United were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.

In brief

51 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

19 Jul 2027
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Market

Michael Bodo asks to leave Bidco United

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Market

Bidco United turn down Nairobi United for Bernard Ongoma

The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.

Transfer targets

Eliud Lokuwam will not be coming to Bidco United

Terms were offered and declined. Whether it was the wages, the role or the town, nobody at Posta Rangers is saying, and nobody at Bidco United is enjoying the guessing.

Squad

Words exchanged at Bidco United

Daniel Kakai and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.

Transfer targets

Door shut on Dalphine Omuri

Bidco United asked and Shabana said no without discussing a figure. It is the least ambiguous answer in football and the one clubs most often come back to test.

Match

Another one collected away from home

3 on the bounce on the road for Bidco United. The coaches leave early, arrive at unlovely grounds in the dark, and keep coming home with three points.

Match

Simon Munala sends Bidco United past Muranga Seal

It finished 1‑0, and it was Simon Munala’s afternoon: on the scoresheet when it mattered, and the reason the points belong to Bidco United.

Market

Clinton Rupia attracts admirers

The name of Clinton Rupia has come up in conversations Bidco United were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.

Squad

Words at Bidco United training over how hard people work

Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Sfundo Nzama is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.

In brief

48 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

28 Jun 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Seketso Moremi hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Bidco United can pretend not to have heard.

Market

Only the photograph left for John Otieno

Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. John Otieno will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Bidco United the goodbyes have quietly begun.

Market

Bidco United turn down Muranga Seal for Clinton Rupia

The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.

Match

Bidco United end the wait against Mara Sugar

It had gone 5 games. The players did not celebrate like men who had won a match; they celebrated like men who had been let out of something.

Match

Seketso Moremi the difference as Bidco United beat Mara Sugar

Ask anyone on the way out what separated the sides and you will get one name: Seketso Moremi. 1‑0 against Mara Sugar, and the applause at the whistle was mostly his.

Squad

A row about effort at Bidco United

Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Sfundo Nzama was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.

Squad

Tempers go at Bidco United

Michael Bodo was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Player ratings

Seketso Moremi was the difference for Bidco United

Marked 7.92. Ask anyone leaving the ground what settled it and you will get one name, which is the only award that has ever really counted.

Transfer targets

Bidco United try to borrow Dalphine Omuri

Shabana have been asked whether they would lend him. Loans are agreed quickly or not at all, and this one will be one or the other by the weekend.

In brief

47 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

21 Jun 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market

Michael Bodo asks to leave Bidco United

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Match

The wait goes on for Bidco United

5 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.

Transfer targets

Christopher Koloti is a medical away from Bidco United

The deal with AFC Leopards is done in every sense but the one that puts him on the pitch. Nothing goes wrong at this stage, except on the occasions when it does.

Transfer targets

Bidco United rebuffed over Felix Mulyungi

Not now, not at any price the club was prepared to say out loud. Sofapaka have kept their man, and Bidco United go back to a list with one name crossed off it.

Squad

Daniel Kakai falls out with a teammate over standards

The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.

Squad

A falling-out at Bidco United

Sfundo Nzama and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.

Match

Bidco United come up short against KCB

KCB left with the points after a 0‑1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Seketso Moremi

Successful dribbles: 17. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

The dugout

Clinton Ouma: “No excuses”

“I could talk about decisions and I could talk about luck. I will not. We lost.” The manager, 0‑1, and a press conference that lasted four minutes.

In brief

44 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

31 May 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Squad

11 saves: Steve Hoffman was the team

Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the whole of the defence. 11 saves, several of them the kind nobody expects to see made, and ten outfield players who owe him a drink.

Squad

Daniel Kakai falls out with a teammate over standards

The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.

Match

Bandari take the points off Bidco United

Beaten 0‑2, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.

Squad

Tempers go at Bidco United

Michael Bodo was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Match

Halfway: Bidco United sit in position 15

10 points at the turn. The first half of a season is a promise; the second is a bill, and the town is about to find out which of the two this one was.

The dugout

The manager’s verdict

“That is on me. I pick the team and I picked wrong.” Managers say that when they mean it and when they need to be seen to, and after 0‑2 Clinton Ouma left the room before anybody could ask which.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Seketso Moremi

Successful dribbles: 13. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

The dugout

Bidco United pick somebody else ahead of Ibrahim Mulee

There is no complaint available here and everybody involved knows it, which does not make the walk to the bench any shorter. Form is the only currency in football that cannot be borrowed against.

The dugout

No place in the plan for Paul Mhlanga

The manager wanted a different profile for this opponent, which is a real football reason and no consolation. He did nothing wrong and he did not play.

In brief

41 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

10 May 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

The wait goes on for Bidco United

11 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.

Match

The cup run ends for Bidco United

0‑2 against KCB, and the road stops here. Cup exits are quick deaths — no second leg, no next week, just the league from now until May.

Market

Bernard Ongoma asks to leave Bidco United

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Words at Bidco United training over how hard people work

Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Daniel Kakai is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.

Squad

Tempers go at Bidco United

Sfundo Nzama was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Seketso Moremi

Successful dribbles: 19. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Match

A bad afternoon for Bidco United against Posta Rangers

0‑1 to Posta Rangers, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

The dugout

Clinton Ouma faces the questions

“We were not good enough today and I am not going to dress it up.” Clinton Ouma after 0‑1, in the tone of a man who knows the next question and does not intend to answer it.

The dugout

The manager makes an example of Michael Bodo

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

27 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

1 Feb 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

A knee injury of the worst kind for Simon Munala

71 days on the estimate, and a long, private, unglamorous year of a rehabilitation nobody watches. Bidco United lose a footballer; he loses considerably more than a season.

Boardroom

Bidco United close the window on a squad of their own making

4 in and 0 out, and no more changes for months. The manager has what he has, the supporters have their opinion of it, and the table will have the last word.

Squad

Sfundo Nzama falls out with a teammate over standards

The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.

In brief

19 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

7 Dec 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

26 days out for Clinton Asiago after a fracture

A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. Bidco United will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.

Squad

Bernard Ongoma signs on for more

“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Bernard Ongoma and Bidco United agree another 1 years.

Squad

A row about effort at Bidco United

Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Daniel Kakai was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.

In brief

18 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

30 Nov 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Clinton Asiago breaks a bone — 34 days out

Brutal, unambiguous and, for all the horror of the moment, usually less career-shaped than the ligament everybody fears more. 34 days, a clean timeline, and a return date somebody can actually plan around.

The dugout

John Otieno keeps the receipts

“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Bidco United may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.

Squad

A row about effort at Bidco United

Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Daniel Kakai was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.

In brief

16 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

16 Nov 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

48 days out for Clinton Asiago after a fracture

A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. Bidco United will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.

Squad

Sergio Sardinha signs on for more

“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Sergio Sardinha and Bidco United agree another 2 years.

Squad

Daniel Kakai falls out with a teammate over standards

The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.

In brief

12 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

19 Oct 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

A fracture rules Ochieng Ouma out for 18 days

Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason Bidco United will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.

Squad

A row about effort at Bidco United

Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Daniel Kakai was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.

Squad

Words exchanged at Bidco United

Michael Bodo and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.

In brief

11 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

12 Oct 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Ochieng Ouma breaks a bone — 25 days out

Brutal, unambiguous and, for all the horror of the moment, usually less career-shaped than the ligament everybody fears more. 25 days, a clean timeline, and a return date somebody can actually plan around.

Squad

A falling-out at Bidco United

Michael Bodo and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.

Squad

Bidco United are still strangers to each other

6 new signings in one window. Every one may be an upgrade and the side can still be worse for a while, which is the part of a rebuild the verdicts never mention.

In brief

10 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

5 Oct 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Clinton Asiago breaks a bone — 90 days out

Brutal, unambiguous and, for all the horror of the moment, usually less career-shaped than the ligament everybody fears more. 90 days, a clean timeline, and a return date somebody can actually plan around.

Squad

A row about effort at Bidco United

Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Daniel Kakai was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.

Boardroom

Wages eat 121% of everything Bidco United earn

There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.

In brief

8 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

21 Sep 2026
From our football correspondent Crisis

Squad

Daniel Kakai in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Bidco United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Transfer targets

Too dear: Bidco United walk away from Lameck Omondi

$19.0K was the most the club would pay and Mara Sugar were asking for more. Deals like this are revived in the last week of a window roughly half the time, and everybody involved knows it.

Match

A bad afternoon for Bidco United against APS Bomet

0‑1 to APS Bomet, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

The dugout

No hiding place for Daniel Kakai

“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Daniel Kakai, and the manager let it.

Player ratings

Simon Munala beats them one at a time

Successful dribbles: 16. There was always a defender in front of him and there was never a defender in front of him for long.

The dugout

The view from the dugout

“We will look at it, we will learn from it, and we go again.” The three sentences every manager keeps for a 0‑1 defeat, delivered by Clinton Ouma to a room that had heard them before.

The dugout

The plan did not have a place for Peter Wafula

Nobody at Bidco United is suggesting he is out of form. The manager simply wanted somebody with a different set of qualities for ninety specific minutes, and there is nothing a player can train to fix that.

The dugout

A door opens for Peter Wafula

He asked about his future and was given an answer with minutes in it. The manager has now made a promise in a building where promises are remembered, and the clock on it has started.

Squad

The room hears from Fidel Origa

“Nobody outside is coming to save us.” It was short, it was not comfortable, and by all accounts the Bidco United squad were quieter afterwards than they had been all season.

In brief

4 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

24 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

The small margins put Bidco United out

Out, 0‑1 to Kakamega Homeboyz, and the long argument about which of the small moments decided it. The league is all there is now, and everybody knows it.

Match

No end in sight to Bidco United's wait for a win

5 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Bidco United has to find a result from somewhere.

Transfer targets

Brian Musa turns down Bidco United

The clubs had agreed and the player had not. A snub, and a public one: Kenya Police keep him, and the supporters here are left wondering what he had heard about the place.

Transfer targets

Bidco United bid $26.0K for Bernard Ongoma

The offer went to Ulinzi Stars this week and it is theirs to answer. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loud the door closes.

Transfer targets

Bidco United bid $36.0K for Humphrey Aroko

The offer went to Kariobangi Sharks this week and it is theirs to answer. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loud the door closes.

Transfer targets

Too dear: Bidco United walk away from Dalphine Omuri

$30.0K was the most the club would pay and Shabana were asking for more. Deals like this are revived in the last week of a window roughly half the time, and everybody involved knows it.

Squad

A row about effort at Bidco United

Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Daniel Kakai was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.

Squad

Words exchanged at Bidco United

Michael Bodo and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.

Squad

Ibrahim Mulee signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Ibrahim Mulee commits to Bidco United for another 3 years.

In brief

1 Edition

The Bidco United Herald

3 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Daniel Kakai signs on for more

“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Daniel Kakai and Bidco United agree another 4 years.

Player ratings

Daniel Kakai runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 20. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Transfer targets

Bidco United rebuffed over Abdalla Hamisi

Not now, not at any price the club was prepared to say out loud. Ulinzi Stars have kept their man, and Bidco United go back to a list with one name crossed off it.

Squad

Words at Bidco United training over how hard people work

Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Daniel Kakai is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.

Match

Ulinzi Stars snatch it back from Bidco United

A goal on 89 minutes turned three points into one and a good afternoon into an argument about game management that will run until Saturday.

Squad

Steve Hoffman has outgrown this division

There is a level at which a footballer stops being tested and starts being contained, and he reached it some time ago. Bidco United know it, and so does everybody who watches him.

Squad

Michael Bodo in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Bidco United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Transfer targets

A loan move for Lazarazu Otieno is in the works

Bidco United have made the call to Posta Rangers. No fee, a share of the wages, and a spare shirt in the position where the squad has been thinnest all season.

Transfer targets

Bidco United ask about Christopher Koloti

A loan enquiry to AFC Leopards: cover, or a look at somebody the club cannot afford to buy yet. Either way the answer will come back inside the week.

In brief